Friday, February 26, 2016

Our schools started using Google Classroom this year. I am learning more about Google apps and way to use them in my classroom.

I use technology every day. I am fortunate enough to be 1:1 with laptops in my room. I am the teacher who tells everyone "Yes, Kindergarteners can do that!"

Google Docs now have the microphone as a tool. YAY!!! Story dictation for my kinders. This week we have been doing a Close Read of Tooth Trouble. I created a simple document with pictures to represent the major events of the story.

Getting into our Google Classroom is the easy part. I worked with a few kids today. I had to help them enable the microphone since this was the first time using it. I showed them how to click next to the picture so it didn't get deleted and how to start and stop the recording.

No problem, we have been practicing using the microphone in ActivInspire. A few were able to get right to work. This is where it got interesting.

* Because the pictures are not secured, it was hard to click in the right spot to add the text. If they clicked on the picture, it would get deleted.
possible solution: A PDF document would fix this, but I still need the Voice to Text.

* If they clicked next to the picture the cursor didn't always show up, and the voice to text wouldn't start with a missing cursor.
possible solution: more practice clicking and seeing the cursor, this is just practice

* Voice to Text: this was fun. My students are 5/6, they talk fast, they don't always enunciate their words, they don't always pause before starting a new thought. This caused issues with the dictation; "piece of" became pizza
"as" became a**
"special sticker" became special tax
There were some random words as well. It was an interesting read.
solution: continue to use ActivInspire for story dictation, it can just record what they are saying

I get it, there are limitations to the technology. The only way to find out what works is to try it. I don't mind trying it.

Today's take away: Google docs and voice to text are not the right tool for my kids right now. But there are many more tools within Google that I can and will try. I am thinking of a PDF and Kami to practice making 10. I'll let you know how it goes.